Between 1815 and 1850 the United States which is only made up of small farmers and businesses(traders) began to grow. America had expanded itself to the pacific coast. This great expansion was due to many changes in the marketplace, transportation, and industry. The cotton industry was a main factor in opening up America to major business. There was always a high demand for cotton and new technologies made cotton abundant in America. While cotton is very profitable in America, the transportation of goods around the country is crucial to trading. New roads, canals, waterways and railroads are built for this purpose. These forms of transportation connected major cities making transportation easier and cheaper. During this time, an Industrial revolution took place. Many new inventions were created that help speed up the production of goods. Textile factories were built and they were very su

In the eighteenth century, many goods were being produced and traded, but to trade, transportation of goods is necessary. One way to transport goods was by road. New roads were being built in the northeast because of public demand. In 1794, the Philadelphia-Lancaster Turnpike was constructed. It served as an example to other areas to build more roads. Eastern cities followed the example and by 1821 had nearly four thousand miles of turnpikes. Western cities did not have many roads, but had the Fredrick Turnpike which lead to other roads that connected to northern cities. However, in the 1820's flatboats became very useful. Flatboats were made up of logs that are tied together. These logs could also be use for lumber. It is estimated that three thousand flatboats traveled down the Ohio river yearly. The west used flatboats mostly to carry wheat, corn, flour, meal, port, whiskey, soap and candles. Steamboats also came into play. By 1836, 361 steamboats traveled the western area. They brought "cheaper and faster two-way traffic to the Mississippi Valley"(p.368). The steamboats carried bulk goods cheaper than by a wagon on the road. Robert Fulton and Robert R. Livingston used the first steamboat. In addition, canals were built for easy access to rivers and oceans. In 1817 Governor De Witt Clinton authorized the constructing of a canal from Lake Erie to the Hudson River. After eight years of constructing, the canal was complete. The Erie Canal stretched 350 miles from Buffalo to Albany. It reduced traveling time from Buffalo to New York City from twenty days to only six. Also, the price to ship a ton of goods drastically reduced from $100 to $5. The Erie Canal was so beneficial that by 1837, 3,000 miles of canal were completed, but no other canal would be as beneficial. Another form of transportation that was that was very influential to the market and American life was the railroad. Many states had turned to the develop of railroads because of the great exp

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Approximate Word count = 1342
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)